Prosecution of those who require marihuana for medical purposes did not achieve any of the three objectives of the CDSA identified by the Crown: preventing harm, international treaty obligations, and control of the trade in illicit drugs.

U.S. agents had posed as arms buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC. Bout has denied the charges of involvement in illicit arms trading to areas such as Africa, South America and the Middle East.

A recent report by the UN Economic Commission for Africa notes that 3% of Africa's public resources are diverted to private hands, and that the continent loses 60% in illicit capital flows to foreign tax havens.